By Easter Monday the wife and me were getting a bit bored with doing stuff around the house and waiting for the weather to warm up. So we headed to the station and boarded the 09:44 to Lincoln with our bikes. The train was lightly loaded - a few folk had clearly bought cheap tickets to London via Retford - so there was no problem getting the bikes on. An hour and a bit later we pulled into Lincoln central and were ready for the adventure of cycling home.
The bike routes out of Lincoln are easy to find - turn left out of the station, head for Brayford Pool and you're there. Avoiding the chain restaurants, soon we were heading out of town along the Fossdyke navigation with the chilly wind behind us - with it pushing along we didn't feel the cold and the cycling warmed us up. In fact we were enjoying it so much we missed our turn-off and continued all the way to Saxilby - however it was easy to find out way south and get back on the bike route, a rail trail heading for Fledborough. Before we knew it we were over the Trent - Patrice asked "when do we go over the viaduct?" "We just did" I responded. We bumped along a green lane for the pleasure of being buzzed by the many bird boxes that had been placed along it, and then a very gentle climb took us to Tuxford - an interesting place somewhat blighted by having the A1 running through it. The bike route waggles around to avoid some busy roads and a nasty hill, an then you find yourself winding your way through some pleasant country lanes. The bike route (NCN647) makes use of an access road through a former mine sites - sadly blighted by fly tipping, duly reported - and then a busy but short stretch along a B road before a short climb through Bothamsall, and down to the turn off for Clumber Park which has three interesting features - an oil well, a house with an unusual-looking outhouse and a House of Many cats. There is a signalled if scruffy crossing of the A614 and you find yourself on the path through Clumber Park, which has been improved recently. THe route now takes you along the firnges of the park before joining NCN6, which takes you down to Clumber Bridge past some of the most impressve older trees in the Park. The signage through the park is also much improved and it is easy to find your way down to the outskirts of Worksop, through the Manton estate and onto the Chesterfield canal, which you more-or-less follow through to Shireoaks.
We were hoping for tea and home-made cakes at Nonna's but she's not opening until the 1st of May so we pressed on towards Rother Valley. The road takes you up to Thorpe Salvin where we could see the snow-covered wastes of Derbyshire beyond.
We made our way through however, and soon were riding round the lake at Rother Valley country park and heading for Sheffield. The bike route in from this direction is depressingly tatty (even more depressing for me as I'm one of the Rangers who are supposed to be looking after it) but functional and it takes an hour or so to get back to town. We had cheated and left the car in town - getting up to our house after a long ride is hard work - so before too long we were enjoying a well deserved pint of Strong Ale in the local!.
The bike routes out of Lincoln are easy to find - turn left out of the station, head for Brayford Pool and you're there. Avoiding the chain restaurants, soon we were heading out of town along the Fossdyke navigation with the chilly wind behind us - with it pushing along we didn't feel the cold and the cycling warmed us up. In fact we were enjoying it so much we missed our turn-off and continued all the way to Saxilby - however it was easy to find out way south and get back on the bike route, a rail trail heading for Fledborough. Before we knew it we were over the Trent - Patrice asked "when do we go over the viaduct?" "We just did" I responded. We bumped along a green lane for the pleasure of being buzzed by the many bird boxes that had been placed along it, and then a very gentle climb took us to Tuxford - an interesting place somewhat blighted by having the A1 running through it. The bike route waggles around to avoid some busy roads and a nasty hill, an then you find yourself winding your way through some pleasant country lanes. The bike route (NCN647) makes use of an access road through a former mine sites - sadly blighted by fly tipping, duly reported - and then a busy but short stretch along a B road before a short climb through Bothamsall, and down to the turn off for Clumber Park which has three interesting features - an oil well, a house with an unusual-looking outhouse and a House of Many cats. There is a signalled if scruffy crossing of the A614 and you find yourself on the path through Clumber Park, which has been improved recently. THe route now takes you along the firnges of the park before joining NCN6, which takes you down to Clumber Bridge past some of the most impressve older trees in the Park. The signage through the park is also much improved and it is easy to find your way down to the outskirts of Worksop, through the Manton estate and onto the Chesterfield canal, which you more-or-less follow through to Shireoaks.
We were hoping for tea and home-made cakes at Nonna's but she's not opening until the 1st of May so we pressed on towards Rother Valley. The road takes you up to Thorpe Salvin where we could see the snow-covered wastes of Derbyshire beyond.
As we turned off to take the track over to Wales, we were astonished to find ourselves wading through enormous snowdrifts! As you can see the fields on either side of the track were practically clear.
We made our way through however, and soon were riding round the lake at Rother Valley country park and heading for Sheffield. The bike route in from this direction is depressingly tatty (even more depressing for me as I'm one of the Rangers who are supposed to be looking after it) but functional and it takes an hour or so to get back to town. We had cheated and left the car in town - getting up to our house after a long ride is hard work - so before too long we were enjoying a well deserved pint of Strong Ale in the local!.
